In the students’ union Kaakko we see the reduction in the number of lessons as problematic. The purpose of education is to give students a good chance of progressing along their chosen career path, and this can only be achieved through proper education. The cuts that have come to our attention are essentially a reduction in the total number of lessons. Nor do we appreciate how unpredictably the number of lessons can vary from week to week, nor how much of the lessons in daytime courses are, after all, distance learning.
A reduction in the number of lessons without compensatory arrangements is detrimental to teaching. Reducing the number of lessons will reduce the quality of teaching and will undermine Xamk’s reputation as an educational institution. The well-being and mental health of students will also suffer if the amount of guidance and support available is reduced and the competitiveness of the labour market will suffer, both for students and for Xamk as an employer. In the current market situation, it is absolutely essential for an institution to support the employment of its students in by all means possible.
Students must also be given a reliable opportunity to plan their own schedules. The fact that the number of lessons, and especially the number of assignments, varies greatly from week to week does not make this possible. Students are not able to plan their own time and this also creates challenges for student organisations in planning events. The decision will also have a social impact, as the unpredictability of the organisation of lessons will reduce the opportunities for students to get to know Finland and the rest of the world.
Daytime programmes are daytime programmes and not multimodal. In every field of study, the lessons of daytime courses should mainly be taught face-to-face, with distance learning occasionally not being a problem. By keeping the lessons mainly daytime, a good starting point is created for students to engage face-to-face with the subject matter, creating a good basis for learning. Holding day courses as remote courses also gives a somewhat ambiguous image of the organiser of the programme, as students may feel a bit cheated incase they have already moved and settled in.
Xamk should rethink the way it advertises its degrees, get a grip on the timing of lessons and reconsider cutting lessons. Cutting lessons will only create inconvenience that may have long-term effects.
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